I tried to bully Andrew into kicking Fergie out of her residence at Royal Lodge—a demand that placed Andrew in the awtward position of having to choose between his overbearing father and his over-the-top ex-wife. He chose her. (Buckingham Palace would not comment on Prince Philip's relationship with Andrew or his ex-wife.) Fergie. who was not invited to the royal wedding, fled to Thailand. where, she later told Oprah. "the jungle embraced me" She added. "I wanted to be there with my girls—to be getting them dressed and to go as a family." Shc and Andrew were the last royals to have been married at Westminster Abbey. and Fergie kept in touch by telephone with her a -husband during the ceremonies for William and Kate. "When Andrew went with the girls," she recalled. "we were talking all morning, and he was saying. 'It's O.K. Just remember, we had such a good day. Our wedding was so perfect' ... Because we're such a unit together, he made me feel wry part of the day on April the 29th." With a profligate former wife and two coming-of-age daughters to support, according to an insider. Andrew has complained that it's hard to make do on a yearly stipend of 5408.000. He also receives hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for travel expenses related to his job. His portrayal of himself as a poor relative helps explain why he and Fergie always seem to be grubbing for money. and why Fergie— with Andrew's knowledge—recently sold her story to Oprah for a six-part reality series in which Beatrice and Eugenie join their mother in a teary airing of their woes. "My understanding is that Prince Charles was less than happy that Andrew was given the role of trade envoy back in 2001 after he left the navy," Robert Jobson, author of Milian: d Kate: 'I7re Low Story and a royal commentator for NBC News, told me. "When Charles ascends the throne—which he will do despite all the talk to the contrary—he'd like the royal family to be streamlined; he wants a smaller, more cost-effective monarchy. Andrew has made a tremendous effort to keep Beatrice and Eugenic close to the Queen in order to assure their future as fully paid-up members of the Firm, as the royal family is called. In addition to their status as royal highnesses, Andrew has always wanted them to have around - the-clock security and the rank of working royals. But if Charles has his way, the girls will be thrown off the royal payroll and have to fend for themselves. Many of Andrew's inexcusable actions—consorting with rich oligarchs in North Africa. the Mideast, and the former Soviet Union. TS I VANiTY tAlt voanyle.r.ces It %\I/\ sSIA (1111w Ito)°, bodge, huntc of Prince Andrew. his es-wife, and the princesses I:ugnale and Beatrice. (21 Andres* with his daughters at the nvddly{ of 3% if Ham and Kale. (3) In Sardinia with an unknown outman. 2(110. 00 Ugh the Kanikh socialise (Oct Ashiatiati. 2010. 151 V) ilh the motel 31month-a 1.scal, 2010.161 In his office at Buckingham Pain (7) In The Sunday Times, r Nlarch 6. 2011. 001n The Suns* Telegraph. tai 30. 2010. (91 ith Fergie- at Sudsier. suit/refund. 211111. it the \old‘ ( Line., Nts. A, 'mill. :7002. and begging friends to bail out Fergie—have been done with his daughters' welfare in mind." (A Palace spokesman wouldn't comment on Charles's intentions with respect to the princesses.) Should He Keep His Job? he phone call from Sian James of The Mail on Sunday created a 36-hour maelstrom at Buckingham Palace." a royal source told me. "At some point during those 36 hours. the Queen summoned the Duke of York to a meeting." According to several wellinformed individuals, the Queen was not nized that the story had the potential to overshadow the positive media lavished on the forthcoming wedding of William and Kate. lie Queen asked Prince Andrew why he had consorted with someone like Jeffrey Epstein. whom the F.B.I. had reportedly MAO Pater^ linked to about 40 saman mom Pr young women. most of them under-age. More to the point. the Queen demanded to know if her son had any more surprises up his sleeve. "The duke assured his mother that he had no sexual nshi with L EFTA01166334